Understanding Their Value in Precious Metal Recycling
Automotive foils and industrial foils are specialized catalyst materials that often contain platinum, palladium, and rhodium. While they may appear thin and lightweight, these materials can carry significant precious metal value.
In Canada’s catalyst recycling market, properly identifying foil-based materials is critical to maximizing payout.
What Are Automotive Foils?
Automotive foils are thin metallic substrates used inside certain catalytic converters, particularly in high-performance or metallic catalyst systems.
Unlike traditional ceramic honeycomb substrates, foil-based catalytic converters use layered metal sheets coated with platinum group metals.
Where Automotive Foils Are Found
- Performance vehicles
- European vehicle catalytic systems
- Metallic substrate converters
- Some OEM diesel systems
Why Automotive Foils Have Scrap Value
Automotive catalytic foils are typically coated with:
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Rhodium
The precious metal loading, combined with total weight, determines the scrap value.
Because metallic foil substrates can differ significantly from ceramic units, they require specialized evaluation when selling catalytic converter scrap in Canada.
What Are Industrial Foils?
Industrial foils are thin sheets of precious metal or coated metallic material used in non-automotive catalyst applications.
These foils are commonly found in:
- Chemical processing plants
- Pharmaceutical production
- Oil and gas refining
- Laboratory and research environments
- Industrial emission control systems
Industrial foils may contain higher concentrations of platinum or palladium compared to automotive applications.
Key Differences Between Automotive and Industrial Foils
Automotive Foils
- Designed for vehicle emissions control
- Often lower precious metal concentration per unit
- Typically smaller quantities
- Mixed vehicle-grade material
Industrial Foils
- Used in controlled industrial processes
- Often higher precious metal loading
- Sold in bulk quantities
- May offer stronger recovery yields
How Foil Scrap Is Evaluated in Canada
When selling automotive or industrial foil scrap, valuation depends on:
- Precious metal content percentage
- Current platinum, palladium, and rhodium prices
- Total weight
- Contamination level
- Refining yield
Because precious metal markets fluctuate daily, live spot pricing plays a direct role in determining payout.
Accurate classification ensures fair compensation.
Why Foil Materials Are Often Overlooked
Many businesses discard foil materials because:
- They appear lightweight
- They resemble ordinary metal sheet
- They are mixed into general scrap
- Staff are unaware of precious metal coatings
Automotive and Industrial Foil Buyers in Canada
Catalytic Converter King works with:
- Scrap yards
- Auto recyclers
- Fleet operators
- Industrial facilities
- Manufacturing plants
With over 30 years of industry experience, we provide transparent, market-based pricing for platinum, palladium, and rhodium-containing materials across Canada and the United States.
We specialize in accurate identification and valuation of foil-based catalyst materials.